2016: A New Start

Familia-

This week was just swell. We got lots of things done that we needed to, and we just seem to be busier and busier. But most of our work is in the part of our area suuuuuuper far away, and we want more people to teach close to our house. So one thing we're starting to do is to just do a BUNCH of street contacting close to our apartment, and immediately teach or mark a specific appointment. But the most success we've found is in helping people carry their groceries, since it's service and you end up going to their house (they can't lie to you about the address) and they're a lot more receptive to hear a message since they can see that we're only there to help them, not just some other motive. So that's our main new strategy to find new people: groceries.

On New Years Eve, we had to be in at 7:00 because of obvious reasons.... We got home, planned, then just relaxed and read until bedtime, and we didn't even wake up to all of the fireworks at midnight! We treasure our rest time. New Years day for us was just a normal day, but it wasa bit hard to find people home because everyone went on vacation... but hey, what can you do?

This week gave me some time to reflect on everything that happened in 2015, and everything that I want to happen in 2016. I thought about how if exactly one year ago, somebody told me I'd be in a favela in Brazil, speak Portuguese, have every day consumed just worrying about how to best help others change their lives around but faced with plenty of dissappointment when you do everything you can, and they don't; to do all that and love it the whole time, I'd call that person nutso. I just laugh in disbelief at everything I've experienced, because even though I experienced it, so many things I think: "no.... that didn't actually happen...."

But that's really my life.

I'm a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a literal representative of my Savior. And for the entire year of 2016, I get the privilege to bear his name on my chest over my heart. It's a blessing I try to comprehend every day, but I never fully can. I know that He loves each of us so individually, even though I don't know how. I know that we must all follow Him, and that's what I'm putting as my ultimate goal for this year. 

I love you all so much, and have a great year!

Elder Merrill

On the first day of the year, I decided to start out classy rocking the SWEET new tie that Kelly gave me for Christmas. 

This is how we watch our training videos in the mornings.... with snacks.

On the way to one of our investigators houses (this is pretty uncommon, most everyone lives in the more city part (of the favela)

Thank you sooooo much Spurgeons (and Rose) for the homemade cookies!!!!! I got so excited, I ate a package before I remembered to take a picture heh heh.... They were absolutely delicious! I never thought real American homemade cookies could taste so good....